Three Samurai Cats

1.     BIBLIOGRAPHY:  Kimmel, Eric. 2003. THREE SAMURAI CATS. Crerstein, Mordicai.  New York, NY: Scholastic. ISBN 0439692563.

2. PLOT SUMMARY
The daimyo’s castle is invaded by a rat, who will not fall for the usual tricks of poison, traps, or guard dogs.  The daimyo rides off to speak to the docho about getting a samurai cat to get rid of the rat.  The docho sends a young samurai to the castle to help the daimyo.  He immediately charges the rat, and the rat easily beats him.  The daimyo makes a second appeal to the docho for a more experienced samurai.  The second samurai cat appears and is twice as big as the first and more heavily armored.  He is beat by the rat due to his own arrogance.  The daimyo makes a final appeal to the docho.  Neko Roshi, the greatest martial arts master, is sent.  Surprise and exasperation are evident on the daimyo’s face upon the arrival of Neko Roshi.  Neko Roshi is old and his appearance is shabby and weak.  He repeatedly declines opportunities to fight the rat.  The rat, meanwhile, steals a big ball of rice, but he gets tripped and the ball begins to smash him.  Neko Roshi then helps him after soliciting a promise that he leave and never return again.  Neko Roshi showed patience and let the rat defeat himself.    

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This folktale is a very direct lesson to students about not judging people by the way they look.  It is also a lesson about being patient.  It feels to students, in the last page in particular, that the author is trying to explain and answer questions rather than tell the students the morale of the story.  The author is, in fact, being very direct about the morale.  Characters are stoic and never really change themselves.  While the lesson is splendid and the writing is superb, the topic is more intriguing for boys.

The illustrator did a superb job; it is similar to the techniques of a graphic novel or comic strip style without actually being one.  This will also be a huge hit with the males in a classroom.  The illustrator did a wonderful job of using bright colors for the wealthy and highly regarded people, and then using dull colors to represent the less well thought of characters.  One touch that was especially nice was you could feel the frustration of the daimyo each time he traveled to the docho.  The first time he went the colors were calm blues; however, the last time he goes the colors have changed to reds, yellows, oranges, and blacks.  You can really feel his rage.

 
4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Patricia Gallagher Picture Book Award
Starred Review in SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL:  “Here's an adaptation of an adaptation of a story Zen masters used to illustrate how unconventional approaches to problems can be disarmingly effective.”

Starred Review in BOOKLIST:  “Kimmel tempers the folktale's heavy message about passive resistance with humorous, perfectly paced language that is ideal for read-alouds, and the characters in Gerstein's colorful, detailed drawings are irresistible--the saggy-jowled hound in robes; the buffoonish, wildly costumed daimyo bulldog; the scruffy, shrunken Neko Roshi; and, best of all, the pot-bellied, gleefully wicked "barbarous rat," who is more comic foil than villain.”

5. CONNECTIONS

*It would be great to use in conjunction with teaching patience.

Other books about patience:

Yolen, Jane.  OWL MOON.  Schoenherr, John.  ISBN 0399214577.

Dewdney, Anna.  LLAMA LLAMA RED PAJAMA.  ISBN 0670059838.

Dewdney, Anna.  LLAMA LLAMA MAD AT MAMA.  ISBN 0670062405.

Krauss, Ruth.  THE CARROT SEED.  Johnson, Crockett.  ISBN 0064432106.

Henkes, Kevin.  LILLY’S PURPLE PLASTIC PURSE.  ISBN 1591123488.

Polocco, Patricia.  BABUSHKA’S DOLL.  ISBN 0689802552.

Swamp Angel

1.    BIBLIOGRAPHY:  Isaacs, Anne. 1994.  SWAMP ANGEL. Zelinsky, Paul O.  New York, NY: Dutton Children’s Books. ISBN 0525452710.

2. PLOT SUMMARY
Angelica Rongrider was born in Tennessee as a ‘normal’ baby who could not climb a tree without help, played with an ax in her crib, and built a cabin by the age of two.  After rescuing pioneers stuck in a swamp, she got her nickname as Swamp Angel.  In her town, there was a bear that was stealing all of the settlers’ food.  Its name was Thundering Tarnation.  The state had a sign-up sheet to hunt and kill the bear.  Many men and Swamp Angel signed up.  The men were rude and teased her telling her to go home and do ‘women’s work’.  She just keeps a positive attitude and tells them that those jobs are for men.  The men keep losing to Thundering Tarnation, and it is finally Swamp Angel’s turn to hunt.  She ends up in a stare-down match with the bear and then she throws him into the sky.  She lassos him back down with a tornado and wrestles him, which results in the creation of the Great Smoky Mountains.  When Thundering Tarnation pins her to the bottom of a lake, she drinks the lake dry.  She outwits him and makes him let go of her by making him sneeze.  They continue this epic struggle for many days.  Thundering Tarnation finally gives in to his desire for food, eats some honey, and dies from a tree falling due to Swamp Angel’s snoring.   She then shares her food with all of Tennessee and carries his pelt to Montana to make the Shortgrass Prairie.  Thundering Tarnation is still visible in the stars where Swamp Angel threw him.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Anne Isaacs creates a splendid tall tale with a strong heroine.  The way she starts describing, as normal, the miraculous feats of Swamp Angel in the beginning of the book makes you instantly feel like the amazing things that occur later are not exaggerations.  It is an amazing trick, especially since tall tales by nature are exaggerations.  She also used the classic “Once upon a time” in the middle of the story.  This made you feel like you already knew her before the story even began.  It was a splendid set-up!  The witty responses to the men picking on her makes her even more endearing, such as her response to needing to bake a pie being turned into making a “bear pie” (Isaacs) lets her take the high road, yet not be a push-over. 

The illustrations by Zelinsky do an amazing job of supporting the story.  The wood used as the backdrop makes it feel homey and as if it were passed down from generation to generation, which is the perfect fit for a tall tale.  The renditions of realistic-looking people, except for their playful and exaggerated facial expressions, really add to the concept of the tall tale.  The facial expressions are hilarious!   

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
1995 Caldecott Honor Book

1995 Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book

1994 ALA Notable Book

New York Public Library, 100 Books Every Child Should Read

New York Times Best Illustrated Books of 1994

School Library Journal Best Books of 1994

Booklist Children's Editors Choices 1994

Publisher's Weekly Best Books of 1994

Time Magazine's 8 Best Children's Books, 1994

Parenting Magazine Reading-Magic Award, 10 Best Books of 1994

1995 Notable Trade Book in Language Arts, National Council of Teachers of English

Book of the Month Club featured selection

Japanese and Korean editions

Featured on Storytime, PBS

Starred review in HORN BOOK: "Move over, Paul Bunyan, you are about to meet Swamp Angel, an original creation in the tall-tale tradition whose exploits are guaranteed to amaze and amuse a wide swath of readers. . . Visually exciting, wonderful to read aloud, this is a picture book to remember." Starred review in KIRKUS: "It is impossible to convey the sheer pleasure, the exaggerated loopiness, of newcomer Isaacs's wonderful story. Matching the superb text stride for stride are Zelinsky's altered-state, American primitive paintings--gems that provide new pleasures, reading after reading."
5. CONNECTIONS
*It would be great to use in conjunction with a lesson discussing powerful women.

Other books about powerful women: 

Bober, Natalie.  ABIGAIL ADAMS: WITNESS TO A REVOLUTION.  ISBN 0689819161.

Stanley, Jerry.  BIG ANNIE OF CALUMET.  ISBN 0517700972.

*It would be great to use in conjunction with other tall tales to compare and contrast.

Other books that are tall tales:

Kellogg, Steven.  PECOS BILL.  ISBN 0688099244.

Kellogg, Steven.  PAUL BUNYAN.  ISBN 0688058000.

Kellogg, Steven.  JOHNNY APPLESEED.  ISBN 0688064175.

The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig

1.    BIBLIOGRAPHY:  Trivizas, Eugene. 1993. THE THREE LITTLE WOLVES AND THE BIG BAD PIG. Oxenbury, Helen. New York, NY: Aladdin Paperbacks. ISBN 0689505698.

2. PLOT SUMMARY
In this version of the Three Little Pigs, it is the wolves that are the ones that are trying to protect themselves from the big bad pig.  They are warned by their mother to stay away from the big bad pig when they are sent out into the world.  Instead of going their separate ways, they stay together.  The wolves are clever, so they build things that are strong.  A kangaroo is the first animal that they run into, and from her they get bricks to build their first house.  While they are playing croquet, the big bad pig comes.  They run inside the house to keep safe, but the big bad pig destroys the house with a sledgehammer.  The next house that the wolves build together is made out of concrete that a beaver helped them mix.  When they are playing battledore and shuttlecock, the big bad pig comes again.  This time he uses a pneumatic drill to destroy the house.  A rhinoceros comes by, and the wolves get barbed wire, iron bars, armor plates, reinforced steel chain, Plexiglas, and heavy metal padlocks for their next house from him.  The big bad pig comes and destroys the house with dynamite moments after the wolves begin playing hopscotch.  The wolves get discouraged and decide they need to try something new, because their plans are not working.  A flamingo comes by with flowers.  They make a house of flowers, and the big bad pig shows up again.  This time, as he starts his huffing and puffing, he begins to smell the beautiful fragrance of the flowers.  He decides to make a huge character change and become good, and even begins to sing and dance.  The wolves are still a little wary of him, but eventually begin playing games, such as pig-pog and piggy-in-the-middle with him.  The wolves and the pig end up living together in harmony.    

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Trivizas does a wonderful job of turning the traditional tale into a splendid fractured fairy tale.  The villain becomes our protagonist, whereas our protagonist becomes the villain.  This is an epic role reversal!  There is an appeal to older audiences with this tale.  The wolves start by being clever but increase their practical knowledge as they develop their lives.  Rich vocabulary is used to enhance the story’s imagery with words like sledgehammer, prowling, and scorched.   The surprise ending of winning with beauty and kindness is an unexpected twist.  It is a great moral, but it is disguised as a plot twist so that it is softened. 
The sophisticated building materials will really appeal to the male students; however, the females will love how the pig changes his personality after smelling the flowers.   

Oxenbury really does a splendid job with the illustrations.  She uses watercolors to soften what could have been a very harsh illustration.  The pictures are very detailed.  The houses show a lot of small details in very neutral and bland colors; however, the fact that they were painted using watercolors makes them not feel stiff like they could have felt.  The dynamite explosion, in particular, makes you feel like you are actually seeing it.  There are also some drawings that are not in color next to ones that are.  This helps the child see what is happening, while still focusing on the main story.  This book is ideal for students that have a hard time focusing on the big picture and main idea with supporting details.  It has extra details that do not support the main idea, but rather just enhance the story.  However, the illustrator made those details in black and white pictures, whereas the important details are in color.  This is very helpful to struggling students.

 
4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Booklist Editors’ Choice

School Library Journal Best Book

Parents’ Choice Honor Book

Starred review in PUBLISHERS WEEKLY: "Among the wittiest fractured fairytales around."

Starred review in SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL:  “A menacing pig is thwarted by three endearing young wolves in this new twist on the porcine favorite. Three cheers for these frisky, frolicking creatures and for the swine who learns the joy of friendship and beauty.”

5. CONNECTIONS
*It is great to use in conjunction with a kindness unit at the beginning of the year.

Other books for children about kindness:

Steptoe, John.  MUFARO’S BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTERS:  AN AFRICAN TALE.  ISBN 0140559469.

McCloud, Carol.  HAVE YOU FILLED A BUCKET TODAY?  ISBN 0978507517. 

*It is great to use in conjunction with measurement in math.  Have the students draw a house that the three little wolves lived in to a given scale.

*Compare and contrast The Three Little Pigs to The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig.

Make Way for Ducklings

1.      BIBLIOGRAPHY:  McCloskey, Robert. 1941. MAKE WAY FOR DUCKLINGS. New York, NY: The Viking Press. ISBN 0670451495.

2. PLOT SUMMARY
Mr. and Mrs. Mallard are trying to find an appropriate home for them to start a family.  They look for a place that will be a safe place to raise their children.  They decide against one place because there was the potential of dangers, specifically foxes or turtles.  They settle on a park where they are fed peanuts; however, Mrs. Mallard does not like it after awhile.  She almost gets run over by a bicycle.  The go on and find a pond better suited for them.  A police officer named Michael feeds them peanuts and befriends them.  The ducks hatch.  Mr. Mallard went exploring, while Mrs. Mallard looked after the hatchlings.  Mrs. Mallard taught them to swim, dive, walk in a line, come when called, and stay away from things with wheels.  Mrs. Mallard leads the ducklings to Mr. Mallard.  She gets help unexpectedly from the policeman named Michael.  He stops the cars to make sure that they can all cross the street safely, and he makes sure there are policeman to help them later on with an intersection.  They find Mr. Mallard and their permanent home, which coincidentally was the home deemed ‘unsafe’ before.   

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The characters are universal.  Since they are ducks, it is easy to imagine them as any demographic.  The black and white illustrations allow the reader to really focus on the expressions and the language, which allows the reader to envision for themselves what everything looks like.  This means the reader is putting it more in their own world and context.  The parent ducks are easily relatable to parents.  They worry about trying to set down roots that are safe.  The subtle lesson in how help can come from the most unexpected place, such as the policeman helping the duck so urgently, is very timeless.  It also is a lesson about who can help keep you safe without blatantly saying it.  The one thing that I would also take note of in this story, however, is that the mother is definitely more hands-on in raising the children than the father duck.  The father duck is not as picky about where to put down a nest, is around for the birth, and goes exploring immediately after the ducklings are born.  Today’s society could get offended by this.

 
4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Caldecott Medal
BARNES AND NOBLE REVIEW: " McClosky's illustrations are brilliant and filled with humor.”

5. CONNECTIONS
*It is great to use in conjunction with science lessons about birds and migration and molting, since the vocabulary is so rich in this book. 

Nonfiction bird books:

Hall, Margaret.  DUCKS AND THEIR DUCKLINGS.  ISBN 0736846425.

Gibbons, Gail.  DUCKS!  ISBN 0823415678.

Seymour, Simon.  PENGUINS.  ISBN 0060283955.

*It would be great to use in conjunction with teaching social studies on communities and who can help you out.
Other books for children about policeman:
Rathmann, Peggy.  OFFICER BUCKLE AND GLORIA.  ISBN 0399226168.

Lenski, Lois.  POLICEMAN SMALL.  ISBN 0375810722.

All the World

1.     BIBLIOGRAPHY:  Scanlon, Liz Garton. 2009. ALL THE WORLD. Frazee, Marla.  New York, NY: Beach Lane Books. ISBN 1416985808.

2. PLOT SUMMARY
In this wonderful picture book, Scanlon uses everyday occurrences to capture a much bigger picture of the world around us.  She uses her words to capture little everyday moments that most people have at some point in their lives.  However, there are no true characters or plot to hold onto.  The plot is more going through the motions and adventures of lives.  She compares the cycle of life through the good moments and through life’s challenges by using antonyms.  The illustrator, Frazee, did a beautiful job of depicting the mood in her pictures.  The books point is to show each individual how important they are and how important everyone else is too.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Scanlon writes with a beautiful rhythm that is contagious to kids.  Her alliteration and grouping of like things make it easy for the kids to catch on and embrace the story.  The book shows struggles and delights in a very positive way, where everyone is working together.  It is a very powerful message without being over the top of how we need to love everyone.  However, the art in the book goes along so perfectly with the words.  It truly enhances it.  All audiences, young and old, mix cultures, are represented positively in this book.  The night pictures are all in blues and purples, whereas the day pictures are in colors with white borders.  The mood is also depicted by colors, such as the rain and struggles are in grey. 

 
4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Caldecott Honor Award

ALA Notable Children’s Books

New York Times Bestseller

Bank Street Best Books of the Year - with Outstanding Merit

Bulletin Blue Ribbon

California Collections

Capitol Choices List (DC)

CBC/NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Book

CCBC Choices (Cooperative Children's Book Council)

Georgia Children's Book Award Nominee

Horn Book Fanfare

IRA Children's Book Award

Kirkus Best Children's Book

New York Times Best Illustrated Books

NYPL 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing

Parents' Choice Gold Award Winner

PEN USA Literary Award Finalist

Publishers Weekly Best Books

School Library Journal Best Books of the Year

South Carolina Book Award Nominee

Texas 2x2 Reading List

Washington Children's Choice Picture Book Award
Starred review in SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: "Charming illustrations and lyrical rhyming couplets speak volumes in celebration of the world and humankind, combining to create a lovely book that will be appreciated by a wide audience... Perfection."

Review in WASHINGTON NEWS TRIBUNE: "Liz Garton Scanlon and Marla Frazee capture the give-and-take between comfort and wonder in their exquisite new book All the World. ...Scanlon and Frazee pull it off with brilliant simplicity...Scanlon's verse and Frazee's illustrations play off one another like the music and lyrics of a great song. ... Don't miss this one."

5. CONNECTIONS
*It would be great to use in conjunction with a lesson in embracing diversity. 

Adler, David.  A PICTURE BOOK OF MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.  ISBN 0823408477.

Rappaport, Doreen.  MARTIN’S BIG WORDS:  THE LIFE OF DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.  Collier, Bryan.  ISBN 1423106350.

Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale

1.     BIBLIOGRAPHY:  Willems, Mo. 2004. KNUFFLE BUNNY:  A CAUTIONARY TALE. New York, NY: Hyperion. ISBN 0786818700.

2. PLOT SUMMARY
In this wonderful picture book, Mo Willems tells us a story about a little girl named Trixie and what happens on dad’s day of taking care of her.  Trixie has a beloved stuffed animal that she takes everywhere with her named Knuffle Bunny.  Knuffle Bunny gets stuck in the washing machine at the Laundromat.  When Trixie notices Knuffle Bunny missing, she panics and tries to explain to her daddy.  Her dad gets very frustrated at her tantrums and going ‘boneless’.  Finally, once they get back to the house, mom immediately questions where Knuffle Bunny is.  The whole family runs to find Knuffle Bunny by retracing their steps.  They find Knuffle Bunny located in the wash, and Trixie exclaims her first words as Knuffle Bunny!

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Mo Willems uses very simple dialogue to capture the feelings and emotions of a pre-toddler and her parents dialogue with her.  The characters are very interesting and consistent with their age.  All children can relate to trying to tell an adult something, and the adult not getting their true message regardless of the child’s age.  It is very relatable for children and adults alike, since the characters are so expressive in their faces and body language.  The setting being black and white photos of a real neighborhood makes it all that more authentic.  While the characterization or the main characters in cartoon drawings, make each the characters more universal.  The pigeon is also in every single one of Mo Willems’ books, including this one.  This is similar to the spider or mouse in the Little Critter stories.  It gives something for even your lowest motivated reader to engage in the story.  Children and adults of all ages will laugh at Trixie’s fit, Dad’s frustration, and Mom’s motherly intuition. 

Mo Willems is an extremely gifted author and illustrator that captivates his audiences.  His experience on Sesame Street gives him a great background on how to entertain and relate to children. 

 
4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Caldecott Honor Award
Starred review in SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: "Personalities are artfully created so that both parents and children will recognize themselves within these pages. A seamless and supremely satisfying presentation of art and text.”–Martha Topol
Starred review in BOOKLIST: "Even children who can already talk a blue streak will come away satisfied that their own strong emotions have been mirrored and legitimized, and readers of all ages will recognize the agonizing frustration of a little girl who knows far more than she can articulate."

5. CONNECTIONS
*It is great to use in conjunction with other stories by Mo Willems.  Have students create their own pigeon books using the setting or background of Knuffle Bunny.  Take pictures around the school, or have students take pictures (depending on their age and your own comfort with allowing the kids to use the digital camera).  Then have the students illustrate the pigeon (instructions are on www.mowillems.com) and add dialogue to their story.  The children will love this and continue this on their own throughout the rest of the year! 

Pigeon books by Mo Willems:

Willems, Mo.  DON’T LET THE PIGEON STAY UP LATE!  ISBN 1406308129.

Willems, Mo.  DON’T LET THE PIGEON DRIVE THE BUS!  ISBN 0439686172. 

Willems, Mo.  THE PIGEON FINDS A HOT DOG!  ISBN 0439800889.

Willems, Mo.  THE PIGEON WANTS A PUPPY!  ISBN 1406315508.

*Gather other books about where the child is coping with being little.
Other books for children about the difficulties of being little:
Scott, Ann Herbert, Coalson, Glo. HI!. ISBN 0399219641.

Alexander, Liza.  TOO LITTLE!  ISBN 0307120090.